Louisiana lawmaker says state overrun with alligators in bayous, streets, neighborhoods

A Louisiana lawmaker who says the state has become overrun with alligators wants to explore expanding the hunting limits and season.

"We're being overrun by alligators," said Democratic Plaquemine Rep. Chad Brown. "Two Sundays ago my neighbor called and told me to be careful because there's an alligator under your wife's car."

Brown's House Concurrent Resolution 132 asks the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to seek ways to limit alligators' intrusion into human populated areas.

"They're coming up channels and sloughs and creeks and into towns," said Republican Jennings Rep. Troy Jennings.

Republican Ville Platte Rep. Rhonda Butler said she's spotted gators larger than her kayak while on the water.

Louisiana's alligator population has exploded over the past 50 years from fewer than 100,000 to more than 3 million today. Of those, about 2 million are wild with another 1 million farmed.

That's nearly three times the population of Florida, the state with the second most number of alligators.

And they are all over the state from Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge to Caddo and Cross lakes in Shreveport to Caldwell Parish in northeastern Louisiana.

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"They're everywhere," said Republican Columbia Rep. Neil Riser. "I think we're going to have to get to the point to (expand hunting)."

"We know duck hunters who now won't bring their retrievers to the blind with them in some duck holes because of alligators," said Brown, who noted that alligators aren't just a threat to humans but to commercial fishing and crawfishing operations.

"We're trying to get an awareness that we have too many alligators," Brown said.

Brown's resolution cleared the House Natural Resources Committee without objection.

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Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: As Louisiana alligator population explodes, lawmaker wants more hunting